The invention is based on a device for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm. In a known device of this type (Published, Unexamined German Patent Application DE-OS 23 44 876), the pivot pegs toward the blade, once the wiper blade has been installed on the wiper arm, engage receiving holes in the arm. Nothing is said there about the assembly process. Possibly the two pegs are formed by the ends of a bolt that protrude from the block of the holder; the bolt is inserted after the connection parts have been put together, so that the ends of the bolts are located in the holes of the arm. Such a connection requires major effort in assembly, both the first time the wiper blade is mounted on the wiper arm and when it later becomes necessary to replace a wiper blade.
In the device of the invention the pivot peg can be moved counter to spring force all the way into the inside of the connection piece, making it possible to position the wiper blade relative to the wiper arm in a way suitable for assembly. Once the pivot pegs have been released, they return with the aid of the spring force back to their outset positions, in the process of which they enter the gearing recesses of the connecting element belonging to the wiper arm. For removing the wiper blade from the wiper arm, it suffices to compress the two pivot pegs again counter to spring force far enough that they escape from their gearing recesses. Special loose elements, such as separate pivot bolts, and the attendant assembly steps can thus be omitted.
In a refinement of the concept of the invention, each pivot peg is longitudinally divided; that one peg part of the at least one pivot peg is solidly joined to the connection piece; that the other peg part of the at least one pivot peg is movable counter to spring force by at least the amount of the effective peg length toward the other pivot peg, and each pivot peg part solidly joined to the connection piece can be introduced, via a mounting channel that is open at the periphery and discharges into the gearing recess associated with this pivot peg part, and the width of the mounting channel is adapted to the width of the respective pivot peg part. As a result, connecting the wiper blade to the wiper arm and removing the wiper blade from the wiper arm are simplified further, because the pivot peg part solidly joined to the connection piece already brings about good positioning of the wiper blade on the wiper arm, so that the movable pivot peg part assumes its operating position in its gearing recess practically automatically and under the influence of the spring force.
With a view to the operational reliability of the wiper blade on the wiper arm, it is advantageous if when the wiper arm is in the operating position, the dividing seams existing between the first pivot peg parts and the second pivot peg parts are disposed upright toward the window.
A connection device that is especially easy to install is obtained if the dividing seams are disposed outside the longitudinal axis of the pivot peg; the pivot peg parts having the larger cross section are solidly joined to the connection piece, and the pivot peg parts having the smaller cross section are disposed in at least approximately resiliently yielding fashion in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the pegs, because the larger pivot peg parts bring about better prepositioning of the wiper blade relative to the wiper arm.
With a view to manipulating the connecting device, advantageously, the connection piece is made from a springxe2x80x94elastic plastic; and the spring means are disposed on the end, whichxe2x80x94when the wiper blade is connected to the wiper armxe2x80x94is remote from the wiper arm, of a base part that belongs to the connection piece and has the pivot peg parts having the larger cross section.
In a further feature of the invention, the spring means for each of the smaller pivot peg parts are formed each by one hairpinlike extension of the connection piece; that the two extensions are located in a common plane spaced apart from and approximately parallel to the window; and the inner hairpin legs, adjacent to one another, of the two extensions are joined solidly, by their ends remote from the respective apex region of the hairpin, to the end of the base part of the connection piece; and the pivot peg parts having the smaller cross section are each disposed on one of the two outer legs of the hairpin of the two extensions, which legs are freely movable counter to spring force. The outer hairpin legs of the extensions joined integrally with the connection piece thus also comprise a spring-elastic plastic and form handles for temporarily deflecting the smaller pivot peg parts by the dimension of the effective peg length. Their disposition on the exposed sides of the connection piece assures accessibility for the sake of easy installation.
In order for the wiper blade to be guided well on the wiper arm in the wiping motion that occurs transversely to the length of the wiper blade, the device element of the wiper arm has a U-shaped cross section, the base of which U, when the wiper blade has been connected, is located on the side of the connection piece remote from the window, and the two legs of the device element fit tightly over the two long sides of the connection piece of the wiper blade, and each leg of the U has one gearing recess for one pivot peg.
An improvement in operating reliability is obtained if the mounting channel of each gearing recess is open toward the window, because the wiper blade can be removed from the wiper arm only when the wiper arm has been lifted away from the window.
The operating safety is still further enhanced in that when the wiper blade has been connected, the walls of the gearing recess that are each remote from the wiper arm fit in hooklike fashion under the pivot pegs.
An especially low, compact structural height of the connection device is obtained in that the base of the U of the device element is provided with a widened portion of L-shaped cross section, one leg of which L is formed by a continuation of the base of the U, while other leg of the L is disposed spaced apart from and parallel to the first leg of the U of the device element.
Further advantageous refinements and features of the invention are disclosed in the ensuing description of exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing.